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He was chosen as a winner from a shortlist of the top 10 UK entrants for this year and awarded the 2024 Product Prize Winner for Adobe Premiere Pro.
Jamie’s animated short film ‘..What is this Feeling’ centres around three core characters: The Painter, The Sculptor, and The Poet. Although these characters never share the same scene, their stories are intertwined through a common theme: the transformative power of art. Each artist, isolated in their own world, utilises their craft as a means of emotional expression and escapism. Despite their physical separation, they are united by their unwavering commitment to rise above adversity through their artistic endeavours, showing the profound connection between creativity and the human desire to carry on.
Across the duration of this project Jamie embodied each of these characters. Beginning with his own written poetry, he was able to visualise how he would sculpt and paint the puppets. While the specific emotions each character experiences remain undefined, the viewer can see that they find common ground in their shared passion for the arts, united in their individual yet collective search for meaning and expression.
The judges commended the short film for its creative and expressive style, highlighting its distinct approach and how it engages with the theme of human creativity.
When asked how it felt to stand in front of so many people at the awards, Jamie said:
“My work was recognised alongside a handful of other talented winners from the UK and US. We had been told to arrive promptly for the Day 2 MAX Keynote in the morning as we were expected to be involved in some capacity.
“During this keynote, in which the newest features and additions to the Adobe Creative Suite were announced, myself and my fellow winners were asked to stand up in front the 10,000 attendees that filled the conference hall.
“We received an ovation for our work and innovative use of Adobe Creative Suite, it was mind blowing. I’ve never had so many eyes on me at once, it was an indescribable feeling and one I will remember forever as an artist. Recognition fuels creativity, to see your hard work pay off in a physical way, grades aside, genuine human applause for the work we had invested so much time and effort into was really beautiful.”
Jamie is particularly grateful for the impact Loughborough had on him, he said:
“I really do owe an awful lot to Loughborough University, that might sound biased but I loved every second of time there, I’m local to the area and never imagined that the University down the road would have made such a long lasting impression on me, it was genuinely the best time of my life so far. Loughborough helped me immensely in a lot of ways, both as a creative but also as a person, my confidence grew immensely from the first day on campus to crossing the stage at graduation. I will cherish my memories there.”
He added:
“My degree has been my driving force over the last 5 years, it’s something I invested an unbelievable amount of time and effort into, as did my incredible peers. My skills as a designer grew with every project I undertook, and the support and encouragement I received from my tutors throughout my journey kept my passion for the arts going.”
As well as being recognised at Adobe MAX 2024, the 2024 graduate has also had the opportunity to tour Mackinnon and Saunders’ stop motion puppet workshop and see some of the most iconic puppets from the big screen (and small screen).
Jamie is looking forward to seeing what the future holds and credits his time at Loughborough and the support and encouragement he received from his tutors for his success.
Congratulations, Jamie.
You can check out Jamie’s animation portfolio on his website.